Lords will not hear quarry case

Limestone removal from the quarry will be strictly limited

Law Lords have refused to hear an appeal from a company told to limit quarrying in the Peak District.

In March the Court of Appeal upheld the Peak District National Park Authority's enforcement action to control limestone quarrying at Backdale in Derbyshire.

This overturned a successful High Court challenge by quarry operator MMC Mineral Processing against the findings of a 2007 public inquiry.

The inquiry backed the park authority's claim limestone removal was excessive.

Continued quarrying

The quarry's owner Bleaklow Industries wanted to take the case to the Law Lords, but they have refused to hear the application.

No-one was available from the company to comment.

In 2008 the High Court backed an appeal by MMC Mineral Processing against the public inquiry findings and quarrying had continued.

But following objections from the park authority, the Court of Appeal confirmed in March this year that only a limited amount of limestone should be removed and sold in the course of extracting fluorspar, the primary mineral named in the 1952 planning permission.

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Law Lords dig in over quarry work